Supermarket cafes are not known to inspire ardor. With their bins of long-sitting salads and grab-'n'-go sandwiches and sushi, the food is designed for sustenance and durability, not joy. The Good Earth Natural Foods folks listened to their loyal clientele and built the Rachel Carson Café — aka the Good Earth Organic Café — a new addition at the expanded and newly relocated Good Earth Natural Foods, expressly with their wishes in mind.

The sun-splashed cafe, named for a pioneer for the modern environmental movement and author of "Silent Spring," which details the detrimental effects of pesticides, honors her memory and her beliefs in significant ways. Whenever possible, earth-friendly design features and materials were used and, according to food service director Charlie Prosch, the ingredients used in the cafe and deli are at least 98 percent organic.

Though there are some items that are pre-packed in the deli cold case, Good Earth's customers requested a range of high-quality and organic freshly prepared foods from the new cafe. At the long coffee and tea bar and ice cream counter, Prosch and his team developed a live juice program to preserve the nutritional integrity of the ingredients used to make juice. From $2.49 for an 8-ounce carrot juice to $10.98 for a 16-carrot daily detox juice composed of apple, kale, flax seed oil and ginger, vegetables and fruits are cut and pressed to order and the knock-out colors and fresh flavors were unmistakable and incomparable. The vivid yellow Limantour Lassi ($3.79, 8 ounces), named for a Point Reyes Seashore beach, was a knock-out punch of creamy yogurt, mango and rosewater sweetness until a burst of fresh spearmint tempered the insanity.

Step over to the sandwich bar where Prosch and the Good Earth team developed a menu to breathe new life into your daily dole on a roll. Choose to build your own and select from vegan, vegetarian or meat options ($7.98 and $8.98) all the way from bread to dressing to cheese. Swiss and cheddar are here, but so are dairy-free vegan, goat and bleu cheese, too (add $1).

Happily, Good Earth runs a bakery and produces fresh breads daily, including a gluten-free sliced bread. Yes, you can order a turkey bacon club with avocado, Veganaise and gluten-free bread ($10.98), the bread will not fall apart and your paleo-gluten-free eating regimen (or other daily nutritional need) is still intact. The sky is your only limit — no request will faze the well-informed staff — as long as you can fit all those requests onto the order form.

There's a taco and burrito station (from $6.98) and an extensive selection of self-serve pizza by the slice ($4.29) or pie (from $8.98 for a 12-inch cheese). The vegan veggie ($5.49, slice), thickly layered with chunky, sautéed vegetables and a sweet tomato sauce, was gooey-cheesy with a satisfying crunch to the gluten-free crust. The long selection of toppings, cheeses and crusts works here, too, to satisfy each customer's anchovy or pepperoni or Tofurky sausage craving. But the wok bowls are where you will find a taste of Asia.

Built to serve one, Mongolian beef ($11.98), thick slices of grass-fed beef and broccoli over brown basmati rice, tingled with heat from the included jalapeños in an otherwise tame sauce, required some knife work before eating. Mellow and sweet vegetable yellow curry ($8.98), designed to be mild, fared better, but the shrimp pad Thai ($10.98), singing of tamarind and lime, tasted most authentic and held its myriad flavors after transport home. Prosch says it is already a best seller.

Snuggled into the front corner near the main store entrance, the cafe manages to feel separate from the bustle of the market. There is ample seating at a wide reclaimed redwood bar or the natural wood tables.Or grab a seat outside to enjoy the pollution-free gas fireplace. With a broad menu and innumerable options to customize your meal, the new cafe has arrived in gracious, tasteful style.

Christina Mueller writes about food — restaurants, chefs, products and trends — for local and national publications as well as other industry clients. Send her an email at ij@christinamueller.com.